


In The Moonlight

by Aeneid



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Mizuage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 21:58:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1833703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeneid/pseuds/Aeneid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the date of her mizuage was decided, she dreaded to meet the person who had purchased her. However, the person she expected the least turns out to be her future patron.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anneemay of Tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Anneemay+of+Tumblr).



> Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi.

_This is unreal, all of this._

As Kagura wordlessly made a final check on the layered  _kimono_  she wore for tonight, she tried her best not to sigh loudly. She was not alone in the room she had been brought into, as the lower-ranked courtesans were making final changes to the  _futon_  where she was going to lie down on tonight.

Tonight was the night she would be transitioning from inexperienced to experienced, and from tonight until whenever, she would have a patron who would own her as if she was some kind of pet.

Honestly, she was scared. Scared, and angry.

Funny, a young woman like her who was part of one of the strongest races in the galaxy was  _scared_  for her  _mizuage_.

She knew how it would go. Who wouldn’t, when one lived in a district full of women of pleasure? Hell, she  _was_  one of them, though Hinowa, her mentor and mother figure, had managed to keep her off the radar of the wealthy patrons that frequented Yoshiwara. Kagura had been made to dress up plainly and had been under strict orders not to speak unless spoken to ever since she had been sent here at the age of four, though she failed in keeping calm, as she was the type to never back down from  _anything_. Despite that, up until Yoshiwara’s liberation four years ago, there had been no inquiries made about her… until recently, when she heard that someone had taken an interest in her and was even offered to pay a ridiculous amount for the right to be her first and to also be her patron.

She remembered her surprise when the raven-haired courtesan casually announced it to her.

_“You want me to prepare for what?!” Kagura screamed, azure-colored eyes filled with disbelief._

_“Your_ mizuage _—” before Hinowa could even continue, Kagura slammed her fist against the low table, breaking it in half in the process._

_“… Hinowa, I thought we agreed from the start that I will_ never _do such—”_

_“Yes, we did.” The most beautiful woman in Yoshiwara nodded. “But this man has been persistent… and had promised to take care of you from now on if he does pay the amount that we have set for him.”_

_What Kagura did not know was that her future patron had been beyond persistent: he wooed them, both her and Tsukuyo, and seeing his expression lighten up whenever he spoke of Kagura was enough to convince them that their young ward was very much ready to be taken care of by a_ man _who would actually fulfill the role of a patron… and probably even a satisfying lover_.

_“… And just how much did_ I _cost?” when Hinowa blurted out the figure that she had set for Kagura’s future patron, the vermillion-haired courtesan-in-training raised her eyebrows. “… And he agreed?”_

_“Yes. He did.” Hinowa said. “I was surprised that he readily agreed.”_

_“Is that so…” she trailed off, her glare aimed at the floor, as she did not want Hinowa to know that her anger was at the woman who had broken her promise to her. If there was one thing she did not like, it was breaking a promise, as there had been a countless number of times where her own family disappointed her by breaking their word._

_Still… she wanted to hear her foster mother’s reason for doing such._

_“It won’t be so bad… I mean… he’s handsome enough, that I can assure you.” Hinowa smiled sincerely._

_“What’s a pretty face gonna do if his attitude stinks… or worse…” she trailed off, knowing that there had been incidents where the clients and patrons abused the courtesans just because they could. She was able to defend herself because of her Yato heritage, but still… to be stuck with a man who would raise a hand on her…_

_She_ could _always break his arms and legs if he went that far anyway._

_“We wouldn’t allow him near you if Tsukuyo and I didn’t deem him worthy of becoming your_ danna _… or maybe even… husband?” she said teasingly at the word pun._

_Kagura shrugged, not finding the situation humorous. “Better get it over and done with; I’ll be glad to get rid of it after this. Maybe he’ll tire of me after the first one and I can continue living my life as an apprentice to you or Tsukki.”_

_As she turned to walk away and get everything prepared for her_ mizuage _, she failed to notice the knowing smile on Hinowa’s lips._

“Kagura.”

She turned to see Tsukuyo leaning by the sliding doors. “Tsukki.” She said, bowing her head slightly, as not to ruin the elaborated hairstyle that had been done by Hinowa herself. The long hair ornament that stuck out on top of her head was decorated with dozens of gemstones shaped like flowers, while eight tortoise hairpins were sticking out on the sides of her vermillion-colored hair. As expected of a woman in this type of profession, everything was done over-the-top, unlike the women of the arts who entertained the men in elaborate  _kimono_  and wore simple yet beautiful  _kanzashi_  on their hair. Kagura herself was wearing three layers of  _kosode_ , a padded type of  _kimono_ , colored lavender, purple, and red, respectively, complete with an intricately-designed gold-colored  _obi_  tied at the front, which made it a struggle for her to move around, as the clothing was heavy. To add more to her misery, another type of clothing they made her wear was an  _uchikake_ , an unbelted outer robe. An  _uchikake_  was worn only either by a bride or a stage performer, yet all of the courtesans she knew wore this during the parades, or even while entertaining customers. Clearly, she belonged to the latter, and she dreaded the fact that the clothing restricted her so much that she would probably be unable to run away.

… There was no way she would take this lying down.

It was simply not her to  _not_  fight back.

“He will be here in an hour. For the meantime, try not to ruin your outfit.”

To her, it meant, “You have an hour to run away from this place and hide it out until they’re forced to call it off and return the money.”

It was unfortunately that for tonight, she was to stay at a rather secluded cottage, far off from town. When she asked why, Tsukuyo gave her a funny look until she realized that it was meant to give her and her future patron some privacy.

Still, why the need for privacy when it was just going to be quick sex?

Right now, Kagura was quite tempted to run to Kabuki-cho and hide away from them for the meantime, but in her current outfit, it was very obvious that she would attract attention, and that was the last thing she needed.

Time was running out, and she only had very few choices in the matter.

To stay, or to make a run for it?

_‘But then again, the guy’s gonna bathe first before… well, before_ that _. I’ll run away just when he’s getting ready then!’_

Her mind was set.

She was running away tonight.

* * *

… Or not.

She misjudged the fact that they, the two women whom she now wanted to beat some sense into, mentor or not, were a step ahead of her, as they had informed her that the man himself was here and would see her immediately.

“… Isn’t he gonna take a bath first?” if she was to go through with this, she might as well demand that he was as clean as she was.

“Actually, he has been here since late afternoon, getting ready as well. He said he was in no rush, so we took our time dressing you up.” Tsukuyo said. “He’s in the other room now, waiting. We’ll let him in after.”

As if on cue, her heart began beating nervously.

This was it.

She knew that someday, this was going to happen to her, but it only dawned upon her as soon as Tsukuyo announced that her future patron was already waiting for her.

As to why she was stuck in this kind of lifestyle, she was one person to blame, in the form of her idiotic brother; after selling a family member like some kind of commodity and handing her over to Housen when she had been too young to fathom the situation she was in, she had always resented him for forcing her in this kind of situation. Despite the liberation of Yoshiwara, she was still technically a prison, for Kamui had declared himself to be the Second Night King, the successor of his mentor; the only way out for her was to be bought and to be protected for by a wealthy patron who could hold his ground.

She dreaded the thought of her future patron as a weakling; hell, the thought of  _her_  protecting  _him_  was absurd!

_‘All the money yet you can’t even give yourself self-defense lessons.’_  At this, she snorted softly, bracing herself for the upcoming disappointment.

“Kagura, chin up.” Tsukuyo said before heading for the sliding doors. “It won’t be so bad.”

_‘Easy for you to say.’_  The blonde woman herself had a lover in the form of the man who had successfully liberated Yoshiwara, and it seemed as if they had finally managed to get along, despite the rather tense moments between them that involved insults and a lot of  _kunai_.

… Not that she didn’t have those moments as well, but still—

_Why am I thinking of_ that guy  _now anyway? I shouldn’t have any regrets. Besides…_

It was a lost cause from the beginning; she was a courtesan, he was involved with the government, even reaching the level of mingling with the higher-ups and the nobles, for he doubled as a bodyguard to the current Shogun’s younger sister… and it seemed as if he and the princess had some level of understanding, if the rumors were to be believed. It hurt to think of them together, but she had no choice; if only she hadn’t been forced into this kind of situation, maybe, just maybe, she would have some kind of chance.

It was too late for regrets anyway; she had already told him off the other day that they had to stop meeting up, didn’t even bother to explain why, and secluded herself until the day of the  _mizuage_.

She didn’t trust herself  _to not_  mess it up, especially since the urge to confess her feelings to the person she had grown fond of was getting stronger and stronger. Kagura had momentarily forgotten about it  _until earlier_.

Sighing, she shook her head; there was no use.

Her fate was now linked to the man who would soon  _own her_.

With her eyes downcast, she closed her eyes as soon as she saw the silhouette of the person she presumed to be the one who had bought her. She held her breath as soon a she heard the sliding doors open, and at the soft thud of it closing, she looked up and slowly opened her eyes…

… only to see a pair of blood-red colored irises staring back at her.

 “China.”

Her eyes widened in recognition.

She shouldn’t be surprised to see him wearing his usual  _hakama_ ,  _uwagi_ , and overcoat casual wear, but then again, seeing him in such clothing was an uncommon occurrence, as they usually saw one another with him clad in his Shinsengumi uniform, and her in her China dress.

Clothing issues aside…

_How…?_

Her mind was unable to come up with an answer, and all she could manage was one word.

“… Okita.”

* * *

He knew her line of work as a courtesan, but seeing her all dressed up, from the hair ornaments down to the elaborate clothing, was enough to make his heart skip a beat. He had known her for approximately four years, ever since she went to the “surface” (as she called the place outside of Yoshiwara) looking for Seita. The brat had been stupid enough to try and steal his wallet, and it was China who had tried to reason with him to let off Seita. When he refused, she had the nerve to pick him up and throw him as far away as possible before running away from him, the brat in her arms.

The next time they met, it had already been months after the brat stole his wallet. She was on the surface more often, and when he asked her why, she simply told him that it was because she wanted to see ‘her friends’.

Her “friends” ended up being the boss of the Yorozuya, the plain guy who wore glasses, and a huge dog who was the same height as he was. Day in and day out, whenever he was out on patrol, he would see them having fun with one another, though there were times where she would break away from the group and challenge him to a one-on-one fight, something that he did not decline. He was a so-called “prodigy” after all; he would refuse to get his ass beaten, female or not.

The first time they had a match, he had to admit, he had nearly gotten his ass kicked, if he hadn’t been careful.

That time was also the day he found out that China was an Amanto; more specifically, an Amanto who belonged to one of the strongest races in the universe: the Yato tribe.

And with that, they started a somewhat shaky friendship that was established on beating the crap out of one another, destroying the public park, and just about everything around them, which always pissed off Hijikata. In a way, him establishing this sort of relationship with China was beneficial: she still kept him on his toes, and the fights were sending Hijikata into a fit of rage.

A year after he had gotten to know her, things began to… change.

Particularly within him.

“You sound surprised.” He remarked after a long pause, his eyes fixed on her.

“… You’re the last person I expected to do…  _this_.” She managed after probably getting over the shock upon seeing him.

He had surprised even himself when he so readily decided upon this course of action.

Despite being a decently-paid public servant, it was no joke to spend a million yen for someone’s freedom… and even if he  _did_  have that amount of money, he was not the type to spend it on another person, especially since he was warned beforehand that there was still a chance that  _she_  would reject him, as the prostitutes also had a say in these kinds of transactions. Even with all the money in the world, the Yoshiwara women can and will, according to both Hinowa and Tsukuyo, choose their lovers by their own free will, and that included her as well.

_Well, if she rejects me, she’ll have her freedom._

For once in his life, he had turned into a selfless person… and it was all because of  _her_.

“I had spare cash lying around; what’s the point of not using it?” he replied back, not wanting her to know his intention.

It was embarrassing enough as it is.

She rolled her eyes. “… I was right. For all your handsomeness, you have a very rotten attitude.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He rolled his eyes. “As agreed upon by Hinowa, Tsukuyo and myself, you actually have a final say in this agreement.”

Kagura narrowed her eyes at him. “… Is this some kind of joke?”

“Why would I lie? Anyway, either way, you’re free and—”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked bluntly.

Trust China to make a big deal out of this whole thing. Why did she need to know the minute details of every damn thing? She should just concentrate on the fact that she could now come and go as she pleased, without the need to feel stuck in Yoshiwara forever.

This time around, she had a  _choice_.

“No reason.” He replied back, shrugging. “Is that a ‘yes’, or a ‘no’?”

She ignored him. “ _Why_  are you doing this?” she asked again, anger evident in her tone. “ _You_  tell me  _now_.”

_She’s pissed_. “… You don’t need to know—”

Sougo knew he was screwed the moment he uttered those five words; before he realized it, he found himself on his back, his backside aching from the tackling that China did. She usually was not so heavy, but he figured that her clothing right now made her heavier. His gaze had shifted from the ceiling to azure-colored irises that were filled with fury.

“… How can you be a proper patron if you keep secrets from me?” she asked him. “Either you tell me  _now_ , or I’ll break your leg!”

He grimaced at the thought of another broken leg, one that she accidentally broke when they had a sparring match, and it ended with her standing on his right leg, nearly snapping the tibia and fibula in half from the impact.

_Guess this is it._  Sighing, he said, “You said you’ve been stuck in Yoshiwara since you were 4… and—”

“So you bought me for sex.” She remarked bluntly, making him wince.

“No! It’s not… it’s not like that.” He said, his voice faltering.

_I just want to take care of you,_  was what he wanted to say, but he was unable to trust his own voice.

… And he was afraid of the mockery that would follow.

China had always been the unpredictable sort, and so was he.

“… I’ll just leave.” He muttered. “Get off, China.”

Rejection was something he was not used to, and if she was going to mock him, he might as well leave. He’d rather nurse the rejection privately than let her see it.

“… You’re not being honest.” She tsked. “I’m not letting go until you answer me.”

Okita looked away by turning his head to the side. “… I’m not telling you anything.”

“Oh? Well, too bad.” she said, placing a hand on his shoulders. “Have fun lying down. For once, I’d like to sample what my potential patron has to offer.”

Deftly, she pulled the  _uwagi_  sleeves down his upper arms and trailed kisses on his shoulder, using her free hand to try and remove the knots of his  _hakama_. Stunned, Okita could only lie still as she began licking the sides of his neck while her hands were still particularly preoccupied with his  _hakama_. His hands itched to cup her face, but as soon as he tried to, she practically pinned his arms using her knees, and continued on, though now, her attention was on his chest.

Damn it, but his pants were getting a bit too tight…

“C-China…” he managed.

“What?” she snapped.

“… Fine. You win.” He sighed. “I… I just wanted to… take care of you.” He mumbled it so softly that she nearly failed to catch what he was saying… though it did not stop her heart from fluttering at the unexpected confession.

Who would’ve thought of this sadistic jerk to actually turn out to be decent?

“… And that’s why you did it?” at his nod, she pressed a kiss on his cheek and moved her knees aside.

“… I see.” She nodded. “Well, I’m glad I—”

A hard push, and she was flat on her back in seconds. As she struggled to get up, the sheer heaviness of the clothing she wore, as well as the hair ornaments on her head, was making it hard for her to both try to sit up and to tilt her head up. It was unfortunate that she was unable to get up now… especially since the look on Okita’s face was enough to make her freeze in fear.

“... You said you wanted to sample your potential patron, right?” he said menacingly, sending a shiver down her spine.

“I’ll try not to disappoint you.” Was all he said before proceeding to toss away the  _uchikake_.

* * *

Courtesans were forbidden to disrobe when dealing with a customer, but for once, Kagura did not care.

Okita Sougo was not a customer; he was a potential patron (or was he a patron now?), and him slowly stripping her off, licking every inch of her exposed skin, was not at all disgusting. To her surprise, she welcomed it; his warm kisses on her shoulder lingered, even as he went lower, down to her collar bone, and in-between her breasts. After the final layer of her clothing was removed, and with her lying on top of the robes with her hair unbound, the hair ornaments scattered on the  _tatami_ , and most of all, naked, embarrassed, and blushing from head to toe, he smiled.

“Better than I imagined.”

Him confessing to imaging her naked made her blush; was this man  _actually_ harboring some kind of feelings for her that she did not know of…?

The rivalry between them had always been there, but it was hard to imagine him… having  _romantic feelings_  for her.

In her dreams, maybe, but in reality?

He himself had not bothered to take off his  _hakama_ , though her torso was exposed for her to see. It was evident that the fights between them did him good, for he looked quite lean. Years before, during that awkward late teenager phase, he was skinny, but now, it was very much evident that he was a man… in more than one ways. It was hard not to notice the protrusion on the lower part of him.

Sougo placed both of his hands on her breasts, squeezing them, making her yelp at the contact. She didn’t notice how overly sensitize it were until he fondled. Kagura moaned when he lowered his head and began sucking her right nipple while his left hand remained on the other breast, running his thumb on her nipple. His right arm had hooked itself on the underside of her right thighs, parting them, squeezing her buttocks. Her cries of pleasure was making her feel quite warm from her waist down. Kagura was aware of this feeling, as she did on the nights when she, using her imagination, would imagine  _him_  touching her in places that made her feel  _good_.

And right now, he was fulfilling one of her tamer fantasies.

When he shifted to her left breast, he did the unthinkable: he began untying the strings of his  _hakama_. Together with his undergarment, he slipped it off his waist, his mouth never ceasing the ministrations, and from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of  _him_ , all erect and—

To her mortification, she could feel her cheeks flame in embarrassment… as well as her lower half quiver at the sight of his length.

“Never knew you could blush so much.” His words snapped her back to reality, and she shook her head vigorously.

“… S-so what…”

“Good.” He replied, surprising her.

“Huh?”

“I’ll teach you.” He told her.

_Teach me what?_

* * *

Was this how it felt having a patron?

In all honesty, Kagura expected him to dominate her by using his ‘potential patron’ status, and flinging it at her face. Instead, Okita went out of his way to  _teach her_  how to please him, particularly the places where he grunted the most (surprisingly, it was in the most sensitive part of his other head), and… and…

Well, to say that he did things that shocked her was understating it. If it was even possible for her face to flame even further, it would, but she had reached her limit, particularly when he told her to spread her legs apart and show him her—

… and it didn’t end there.

He actually had the gall to comment on how  _pink_  she was down there as she spread further with her fingers before proceeded to lick her so furiously, she actually screamed. As he softly sucked on her clit, his tongue teasing her delicate folds as his hands were preventing her from pressing together, she was barely holding on herself as the sensation was all she could focus on.

With his tongue now probing her, Kagura knew she was about to have her release soon. Moaning out loud, she felt herself orgasm, her sex tingling from both her potential patron’s ministrations and from her body’s natural reaction from the stimulation. Breathing heavily, she tried to catch her breath, only for him to get up and press his lips against her own, his tongue making its way inside her mouth.

She hadn’t tried this… kissing thing, come to think of it.

Placing a hand on his chest, she pulled away, still breathing hard.

“T-too fast…” she said in-between gulps of air. “And… you taste… weird.”

“Sorry. Let’s slow it down for the meantime. We have all night.” He pressed another kiss on her cheek. “‘Sides, that actually tasted of you… have to say, I like it.”

Before she could stop herself, she said, “L-let me taste you too…!”

To say that Okita had been stunned upon hearing her utter those words was understating it. Hell, he felt… excited, happy even. For China to say such… that was very unexpected.

… Which was how she found herself, on top of him, her knees on either of his sides, and sucking and teasing his length while he did the same thing himself on her mound, though this time around, it was more…  _sensual_ , if that was even the proper word to describe it. Now, it was long, languid strokes, but the effects were far worse than earlier… especially since it seemed as if he was  _teasing_  her.

Well, no matter; she’d have to do the same as well.

Softly, she ran her tongue on the tip as she slowly began to suck on the head, while her remaining hand went further, cupping his jewels. When she heard him gasp out loud, she knew she was doing something right.

For someone who knew a lot about sexual matters but never had a bed partner in her entire life until now, this was very reassuring… at least she was doing something right, despite the inexperience.

Swirling her tongue on the tip and hearing yet another sharp intake of breath from him, she continued on to tease him, enjoying the fact that he was now at her mercy, and not the other way around. An idea formulated in her head, and before she knew it, Kagura was now trying to see just much she could take of him in her mouth. Embarrassing as it may seem, but if he was going to be her patron, she might as well get used to  _everything_  about him.

“C-China... I… I…” even he was now speaking incoherently, as the female courtesan bobbed her head up and down against his length, her left hand wrapped around on the base of his shaft, while her right hand was still caressing him.

It was hard to be coherent when the scene you have always only been able to imagine was happening right before your eyes.

Another sharp intake of breath, and Sougo felt himself orgasm rather hard… though he was more worried about the fact that he was unable to warn China about it. Surprisingly, until the very last second, she did not pull away, but rather, her mouth was still sucking him gently. With his breathing now even and his heart rate nearly back to normal, he gave out a sigh…

… and found himself being straddled by China, whose cheeks were stained with his own come.

He felt a part of him twitch at the sight.

_She never ceases to amaze me._

“That… wasn’t too bad… I guess.” She told as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He ran his hand down her back. “Come on.”

“Where?” she asked.

“Bath. We need to cool down.”

* * *

He loved baths; who didn’t? A lot of the humans in Edo thought that bath time was one of the few times one could relax after a long day of working or even doing nothing. As for him, bath time was one of the ways to refresh himself before going to bed; as the captain of the first division of the police force, more often than not, it involved a lot of patrolling, though most of the time, he just preferred to laze around. When China entered his life, she would challenge him to fights, leaving him with wounds or a sore limb, but at least he got his exercise.

This time around, however…

Him and China were currently sharing a tub in the bathroom. The traditional room where they had been placed at was actually far from the center of Yoshiwara; in fact, it was Tsukuyo who had suggested this place, knowing that they needed privacy. He suspected that the blonde lady knew of his feelings for her young ward, but chose not to say anything on the matter, and he was fine with that.

He was not the type to be blunt about how he felt, and her saying the things that he could not voice out was going to be the death of him.

“So… what now…?” China asked him softly as she snuggled between his legs. Almost immediately, the lower part of his head reacted, though he willed himself to calm down.

“Question is, are  _you_  okay with this patron-courtesan setup?”

To his surprise, she blushed a deep red. “… After all of those…  _embarrassing things_  you made me do, how could I even decline…” he nearly laughed when she sounded like she was  _pouting_  at the fact that they were doing ‘scandalous things’, when in fact, it was considered  _foreplay_  by the rest. Still, he couldn’t blame her; he knew she would be knowledgeable about these things, for she grew up in the red-light district, but knowledge was still very much different from experience.

“True. I’ve seen every inch of you, after all.” He nibbled on her ear, surprising her. In response, she elbowed him on the ribs, making him yelp in pain. “Oww!”

“D-don’t say such… weird things…!”

“It’s just the two of us, geez.” Gently, he wrapped his arms around her middle. “… Still, I’m glad you agreed to it.”

“… What made you do it anyway? Tell me the truth; it’s time to be honest with me… especially since I chose  _you_  to be my patron.” She reminded him. “Make a joke out of this, and I’ll break your legs.”

This was it.

No more turning back.

“… The obvious reason would be is that I actually have feelings for you, believe it or not.” He muttered quickly against her ear.

He heard her take a deep breath. “… Since when?”

“… Since a year after we met.”

Kagura mentally did the math. “… Three years ago?”

“Yeah. Is that a bad thing?”

She shook her head. “… I didn’t realize—”

“I’m just good at hiding it.” He smirked. “As I’ve told you earlier, it was up to you if you wanted to go through with this agreement.”

“I see.” She said. “Though… I still think you’re hiding something from me. Seriously, Okita, tell me the truth. What will you gain in becoming my patron anyway? You paid a million for me; you’re obligated to provide for my every need, at my whim. No one does that… even if you have ‘feelings’ for me—”

“Are you saying that I’m lying about my feelings for you?” as soon as she heard him sounding agitated and angry, warning bells began to ring within her.

Quickly, she added, “No. I… I appreciate it, but… it feels like you’re not telling me  _everything_. Please be honest with me… I should at least know what I’m expecting to happen.”

“Fine, you want the truth. You’ll get it.” Taking a deep breath, he braced himself.

“I don’t want anyone else having you. I want to take care of you. Money be damned, I’m fine spending it as long as it’s for you. You’ve been a courtesan since you were four, and no one deserves to be sold by their own family member like some stray pet. I bought your freedom; you got it. It’s a measly amount that I saved up for the past three years, I can get it back.

“You’ll be provided for for the rest of your life. You’ll be living a simple, but quiet life, and have three meals a day and—” at this, Okita paused, momentarily forgetting what was he was going to say next.

Kagura had noticed this, for she asked, “Are you okay…?”

“Y-yeah… just lost my… train of thought.” Somehow, the words he just uttered seemed… familiar… but when?

Sougo was too lost in his thought to realize that Kagura had already pulled away from him, and had only snapped out of it when she began to kiss him on the lips. She prodded him to open his mouth with her tongue, and when he did, he immediately began to suck on her tongue. Moaning against him, she placed both her hands on his length and wrapped her hands around him, in an attempt to stimulate him. He removed her hands when he felt the need to orgasm, as he did not want to delay the bedding.

The sooner they did, the earlier he would be able to make good with his promise.

“China.  _Futon_.” He commanded her.

For once, she complied with his demand.

* * *

More often than not, she had always been told that a  _mizuage_  was nothing more than a business transaction. Aside from having the right of being the first, as well as having new clothes and being provided for, as long as a courtesan did her job properly of pleasing her patron, that was it. Romance was rarely part of the equation, and ever since she had been told of this, she had braced herself for the worst possible outcome.

Having sadist as her patron was quite a shock, but at least it saved her from the anxiety of having to deal with some other person who would probably treat her as some kind of trophy. At least  _he_  was honest about his feelings and—

Come to think of it, she had not yet told him how she felt about all of this.

It was pathetic, really; she who had demanded that he be honest with her, had  _forgotten_  to do the same.

_Smart move,_  she cringed at the thought.

As she laid on the  _futon_ , and with him looming over her, she took the chance to be…  _honest_.

“Sadist.” She called out to him. When he looked at her, she swallowed before opening her mouth once more, trying to gather as much courage as she could before speaking. “I… well, sorry for not doing the same earlier but I—”

“What?” he asked.

“… Why I agreed to this… l-let’s just say I… I feel the same way too…” she mumbled softly, her gaze on the side as she turned her head just as soon as she managed to spill out the very thing that she had been keeping from him.

Unfortunately, she missed the sincere smile that had graced Sougo’s face before he sighed out loud, mostly out of relief. The breath that he did not know he had been holding had been released, as well as his nervousness about this whole thing.

_At least it’s over._  Out loud, he said, “Well, since it’s mutual, guess you’re fine with the setup and all. In any case, let’s… just finish with the formalities. Feeling okay, China?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” She did not want to admit that she was nervous about this wrong thing, especially since she was scared of the sex. What if he didn’t fit?

… And that was just one of her problems. There were too many ‘what-ifs’ in her mind, and she was  _scared_  of not being able to please him.

Funny how she was able to change her mind midway through this.

“It’ll be uncomfortable at first… just relax, okay? It’ll be easier for both of us if you relax… unless you want to be on top…?” he asked. At her confused look, he shook his head and gave her a gentle smile, making her heart skip a beat. “Believe me, it’ll be easier for you. At least you control the pace.”

“You’re… okay with that?” she asked.

“Why not?” he shrugged. “ ‘Sides, I get to see your breasts bounce along with you.” He narrowly avoided a kick aimed at his way. “Just saying.”

“Idiot.” She rolled her eyes at him before sitting up and facing him.

As she sat before him, her legs slightly apart, she moved forward, nearly pressing her hips against his. Okita grabbed both the back of her knees and pulled her more, making her squeal. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around his neck and hovered his thighs. Grabbing his length gently, she guided him to her entrance, and, as slowly as she could, lowered herself against him. It  _was_  uncomfortable, but it was nothing that she couldn’t handle; feeling him inside her was enough to excite her again, though despite the bath earlier to clean and recharge themselves, she was still aroused, if not more so.

When he was fully sheathed inside her, she sighed in relief, glad that it all went without a hitch.

“You alright?” Okita gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“Just… weird.” She admitted. “Maybe in a while, I’ll be okay.”

“Feel free to start.” He told her.

It had taken several minutes for her to get used to him, and by the time she had started thrusting her hips against him, the nervousness had disappeared. In place of it was a feeling of never wanting this to end; as she fastened her pace, her chest began to feel warm, and it was not because Okita was doing his own kind of stimulation with his hands. Rather, she felt… more connected with him in more than one ways. Simply looking at him as he tried to hold back on his own release was enough to make her teary-eyed. Quickly, she wiped them away, and continued with her pacing. She was desperate to have her own release, and hell, it felt  _really good_. She suspected that he may have been one of the factors that made this more bearable, but still…

It wasn’t just good; it was  _wonderful_.

Her legs finally gave away as soon as she brought herself into an orgasm, and promptly collapse against her patron, who had caught her immediately. With him still inside her, he gently laid her down on the futon, and with Kagura lying on her back, he grabbed on to both sides of her hips. Seeing her panicked look, he shook his head. “Relax, China.” Pulling back for a bit, he sheathed himself fully against her, making her yelp as Sougo vigorously thrust against her, her breathing heavy and rankled.

“S-Sougo…” she gasped out loud. “K-kiss--”

Stunned at her calling him by his first name, he obeyed without hesitation as he opened his mouth and let her suck on his tongue gently while he continued on with his pace. Not long after, Kagura felt warmth fill her within as the sandy-haired man went still, a low moan escaping his lips as he finally brought himself into an orgasm. A few more thrusts, and he slowly pulled out of her, his breathing uneven.

“Come here.” She implored him. Too exhausted to protest, he laid down beside her on the futon and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Sadist…”

“… Maybe we should actually call one another by our first names? At this stage, I think it’s impossible not to be on first-name basis.” He chuckled weakly.

“… If you say so… S-Sougo.” She stuttered.

“A bit more practice, I guess. And I know just the thing to make you say my name repeatedly.” Seeing his lust-filled eyes should have disgusted her, but to her horror, it did not; in fact, it seemed as if her body wanted  _more_.

How was it even possible to crave for a person…?

“… N-not now.” She told him. “We need to... sleep.” She added lamely.

“Point taken.” She sighed in relief when he agreed with her.

She was  _so not ready_  to deal with this right now.

“Tomorrow’s a new day… and you know what that means, right,  _Kagura_?”

She gulped inwardly.

… Maybe she’ll get used to this… eventually.

**Author's Note:**

> I took a lot of liberties for this fic. orz
> 
> The reason why I took so long in writing this (took me over a year) is because my research material was inadequate. Courtesans in Japan had a hierarchy system, with the oiran at the top of the list, while the "bath house geisha" (euphemism for a prostitute that works in the bath houses) were at the bottom of the list.
> 
> Generally, getting to sleep with an oiran involved a very lengthy process that could take months. Besides that, having an oiran as a mistress is very expensive, though that did not stop Kondo Isami (Kondo Isao's historical counterpart) from having one. Another thing to note is that Shinsengumi Headquarters were so close to Shimabara (Kyoto's answer to Yoshiwara), that almost every night, the Shinsengumi visited the area.
> 
> For Kagura's case, she is neither an oiran nor a bath house geisha; I determined her to be a middle-ranked oiran to make it easier for me to write this fic, plus the fact that Hinowa and Tsukuyo served as her mentors made it easier for Okita to actually "purchase" her, as the "mothers" of every teahouse determined the most worthy patron for a courtesan.
> 
> One of the two things that's accurate is that the courtesan does have a final say in the "transactions" between her and the customer. If you remember the "Past Arc", Takasugi was the one who had been picked by the courtesan. If men ruled everywhere else, the women ruled in the red-light districts.
> 
> The second thing that's accurate in this fic is that even the courtesans do have a mizuage, thought obviously, theirs is of a sexual nature. Unwritten rule of a mizuage is that a courtesan is only allowed to have sex with her patron; same rules apply to the patron. 
> 
> With that said, honestly, if I had more research material to go with, I would really love to make this fic more historically accurate... ^^;;;
> 
> Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Thank you so much for reading! :)


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